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People
Definition Obtaining people that have the knowledge and understanding of data analytics can be a challenge. Companies should hire employees that are good with analyzing data and communicating those results to other people or departments so that decisions can be made based on the analytics. Root Causes * Talent Pool ** Can be hard to find employees with the analytical and communication skills needed. ** Takes time, energy, and resources to recruit and hire employees. ** Need many types of employees such as the following: data scientists, engineers, cloud and data architects, user-interface developers and creative designers, and translators. * Management Apathy ** Managers don't always understand how to use or the importance of data analytics. * Training ** Training employees on data analytics takes a lot of money and time. Effects of the Issue Data analytics means nothing to a company unless there are people in place who are able to analyze the data and make decisions based on those analyses. Employees must be able to compile and manipulate data, but then be able to understand and communicate what that data means. Importance The importance of people in data analytics puts a much larger emphasis on companies to recruit the best talent, implement training, and reward employees. '''Please read the following article:''' ''[https://hbr.org/2006/01/competing-on-analytics Competing on Analytics] . ''Thomas H. Davenport'' ''does a great job in the section "The right people" about explaining the importance of people in data analytics. This section in the article is key to understanding the issue that people have on the use of data analytics. An example from ''Competing on Analytics'' is Capital One, who is currently seeking three times as many analysts as operations people because of how highly they view the need for analytical skilled employees. Another example of how important people are to a company is SAS, a software company, who begins recruiting up to 18 months before it expects to fill a position. Companies must be willing to spend the necessary money on employees to achieve its desired competitive advantages through data analytics. '''Please reference the following article:''' [https://hbr.org/2008/07/investing-in-the-it-that-makes-a-competitive-difference Investing in the IT that makes a competitive difference], "Corporate investments in workers has surged from 3,500 per worker in 1994 to 8,000 per worker in 2005." Solutions The following are solutions to the issue of people in data analytics: * Recruit talent intensively, early, and often. * Implement employee training on data analytics. * Include performance appraisals on a regular basis where employees performance related to analytics can be discussed. * Make sure management is on board and excited about the competitive advantage opportunities analytics can bring. Management must have a passion for analytics, encourage its use, and continuously invest in it. Examples Management needs to understand and have passion for the importance of business analytics. Comcast executive Bill Strahan recognized both these things. “It was crucial for manager adoption that we present the analytics business case in the language of our company, focusing on competitive pressures and the people component of our change.” ******************************** [[IS 460 Data Analytics Wiki|Home]] / [[Time]] ****************************